AN: Onto the second set of 8: the symbolism behind each color of the Pride flag. Pink is sexuality.

It was a warm summer night on June 1932, but all of the natural and rustic splendor of the world was missed by June and Cora, who were instead choosing to spend the night out on the town, and by that, they meant going to one of New York City's few remaining speakeasies. Uncreatively named "the Forbidden Fruit", boasting a very Eden-esque theme, the old speakeasy was still very much enjoyed by the New Yorkers who liked the illegal atmosphere of a speakeasy. June and Cora were among this number tonight.

"Are you sure we won't get into trouble for this?" Cora whispered uneasily as June led her by the hand into the speakeasy.

"Trouble? What's that?" June scoffed back with a mischievous grin as she gave a dramatic flick of her pale blond hair. It looked even whiter than normal because of the pale club lights that shone down from the bar's aged ceiling. This phrase of June's was pretty much her life quote, and she said it quite often. Whenever Cora would try to dissuade her from doing something dumb, dangerous or illegal, June would always feign innocence and pretend to be indignant, insisting that she had no idea what Cora was talking about. Trouble? Who was she? June didn't know her!

Besides, tonight was supposed to be a night of reckless and wild fun, of scandal and debauchery. They were going to a speakeasy after all, and what place was more sinfully seductive and scandalous than that? Especially given its rather blasphemous Biblical theme of the infamous Garden of Eden. The snake was going to be slithering around all of them that night, busy whispering and humming songs of seduction and power in the form of jazz performers and vaudevillians. Cora knew this, but because she'd always been a bit of a goody-two-shoes, she felt uncomfortable entering such a socially deplorable place, but June blazed the trail inside, continuing to drag Cora along after her until they were lost in a crowd of sweaty thirsty bodies, dancing and drinking the night away. Cora quickly began to feel as if she was suffocating, smothered by all of the other "speakers" but at the same time, the longer she stayed in that little night club, the more and more she felt like she could breathe.

The air stank of all sorts of spirits, and the sweaty drinkers consuming them, and all the other smells and scents they brought with them, but to Cora, it was sort of intoxicating. While here in the shadows, amongst the other outcasts of society, Cora felt free. For the first time in quite a while, she felt as though she was truly safe to be herself here, and she felt as though she could finally breathe.

"That's it! That's it!" June encouraged, seeing that change start to happen to Cora. Her Enlightening was happening, and soon, a true spiritual renaissance would follow after. June continued to drag Cora around the speakeasy, shouting at her over the swing music in the background while handing her drink after drink, pleading with her to at least try one sip of everything. There was enough that Cora thought she would die before she was even halfway through the long list of beverages, but June was insistent. She knew her own limits, and she was like a queen with alcohol, so she promised that she would take good care of Cora.

"I don't doubt that you will," the brunette replied, but she still sounded nervous.

"C'mon, Cora, who else am I supposed to swing dance with if you chicken out?" June decided to play upon Cora's possessiveness of her.

"What?! I'll still dance with you!" Cora cried.

"Not if you're sober, you're not. I wanna do some drunk swing dancing!" June insisted with a wicked smile.

"Of course..." Cora sighed and rolled her eyes. It was very in character for someone like June to suggest something like drunk swing dancing.

"So it's either you, drunk, or I'm finding another partner!" June continued to tease, leaning in close to Cora until their noses were touching.

"Fine," Cora grunted back and June gave a gentle laugh. Cora felt June's breath ghost across her face as she gave that laugh and Cora was suddenly sure that her face had turned a bright pink...

One hour and several drinks later, Cora was lost in a sea of drunken revelries as people of all kinds danced around her chaotically. But despite the mess and discordant, unsynchronized movements and sounds, Cora was having the time of her life! This drunk dancing was far more fun than she'd anticipated, and the best part by far was getting to see June go at it 1000%. Not 100%, 1000%. Boy, could that girl dance! Of course, Cora had always known this, but the level June reached when she was drunk and in her zone was the stuff of legends. She managed to make every move look perfect and she managed to avoid from hurting herself, despite being totally hammered. Cora was left awed and aroused as June began to perform several very sexual moves. Then suddenly, her pale green eyes were burning into Cora's blue ones as her moves got even slower and lower. June was seducing Cora. And Cora knew it. But she was helpless to do anything other than let it happen.

"Come on, baby, let me make you feel eve better," June almost growled as she continued to sway her body suggestively, coming closer and closer to Cora until their bodies were rubbing together.

"Mmmm," was Cora's only reply as she reflexively tipped her head back and shut her eyes. June gave her a breathy laugh before latching onto her exposed throat with her lips, and the very tips of her teeth. Cora took a sharp breath in and tensed up with pleasure, but June only gave her another laugh as she continued to kiss her lover's neck. June trailed down Cora's neck until she was right above the other girl's chest. Any sense of shame or priority in Cora had fled the moment June first kissed her. Now all that remained was her sexuality. And as June continued to dance on her, their bodies still rubbing back and forth as they embraced, Cora's sexuality only seemed to glow brighter and stronger...

June and Cora were "best friends" by day, but when the moon and stars came out, so did they, and the truth. The two had been in a romantic and sexual relationship for a couple of years now, having started dating during the end of the Roaring 20s. Even though times were changing now in the 1930s, they still stayed together and continued to seek out speakeasies wherever they remained. Even if alcohol itself became 100% legal again, the atmosphere of a speakeasy was so deliciously sinful and dirty that neither of them wanted the speakeasies to ever go away. As saintly and angelic as Cora was, she had a devilish side too. Like every human, she had a dash of Original Sin within her pure little heart, and just like Eve, the Forbidden Fruit was always her greatest weakness. If the speakeasy's sensual and seductive atmosphere was the hissing snake in her ear, then the fruit was June. Of course it was. It always was. Cora could never say no to June.

Before long, she was reciprocating all of June's physical affections with just as much (if not even more) vim and vigor. It was as if all the natural and sinful desires that Cora so often suppressed were all coming out in one big blowout tonight, on the darkened dance floor of an old NYC speakeasy, music in her ears, alcohol in her stomach, stars in her eyes, and June in her arms.

"This is so wrong," Cora hummed in dark satisfaction as she continued to kiss June fiercely, holding her face tightly.

"Nonsense, Cora," June replied, and just for a second, the jazz music of the speakeasy became hushed and almost muted. June pulled away from Cora with an uncharacteristically serious expression. As sensual and sexual as June was, she was far more than just a pretty body and a fiery spirit. She was also a caring heart and a wise soul. She knew of Cora's troubles, and she knew how long and hard the girl had struggled with her sexuality, so convinced that she was straight. And then that she could become straight with enough hard work and dedication. It had taken June quite a while to work those harmful notions out of Cora's head, and even after Cora finally began to accept her sexuality and start looking at it (and sexuality as a whole) in a different light, it still hadn't been an easy transition.

In fact, the very first romantic or sexual thing that June and Cora had ever done was to have sex. Cora had been curious, impassioned by June and her philosophies about sex and sexuality. She had asked, then she had demanded, and June had chosen to give. Before they'd ever even shared their first kiss or first date, they shared a bed. It had not been June's first time (far from it) but it had been Cora's, and she'd cried through part of it, and after they were done, she'd alternated between panicking and reveling, two storms going on inside of her at the exact same time. She alternated between crying and laughing, celebrating and fretting. June had sat by her the entire time, both of them still totally naked, but all sexuality had gone out the window then, and it had only been soul. Nothing but comfort, support, affection and protection.

Then the two had gone backwards and, after that first "one night stand", they began to take the more typical route of flirting, courting, hand-holding and kissing. They still had sex frequently and casually, experimenting on some rounds and going vanilla on others. But those times were comfortable and familiar. That very first night had been tumultuous, for both of them. Even June, who was very confident in her sexuality, had been taken for a turn by just how emotional that first night was. Cora obviously had been a mess, but even June had been shaken and taken aback. But now here they were a few years later, and an official couple, even if the rest of the world claimed they were just gals being pals.

"I've told you before, Cora, human sexuality is far more complex, complicated, wonderful and nuanced than society gives it credit for. It is perfectly natural to fall in love, no matter who it is with. Sexuality is beautiful and wonderful and it is nothing to be ashamed of. It is something we do not yet fully understand, but we never will if we continue to try and hide from or contain it! We need to explore it if we wish to give it all that it is due!" June was speaking from the heart now, eyes and voice passionate as she tried to impress upon Cora about how perfect she was, just the way she was. There was nothing to fear, and nothing to hide from, especially not here, especially not with June.

"I know, I know," Cora promised, having not meant to upset June, or insinuate that she was having a sexuality crisis again. She had been joking this time, but June was far too protective to let it slide easily. She may have thought that Cora was the possessive and clingy one, but June had her own protective streak. Cora managed to soothe it back down.

"Don't worry," she continued to promise. "I know, and I'm ok. I'm starting to study sexuality a little bit more, and try to understand it better, and I'm feeling just fine. I was only making a little joke, you know? To go along with the Eden vibes?"

Her words managed to convince June and the bristling blond settled back down after Cora reassured her remark had only been ironic and not serious or literal. But even if her words had failed, her actions would've easily sufficed. With that little misunderstanding already gone, Cora wasted no time in grabbing June and pulling her back in once again. June may have been the more promiscuous, open and sexually liberated of the pair, but especially in times and places like this, Cora's own sexuality and sex drive could easily rival her lover's. She kissed deeply and moved her hands and body all over June, rocking to the beat of the jazzy swing music in the background. June was taken aback, but only for a moment, then she got right back into the groove of things and continued to rule the dancefloor with Cora in her hands and mouth and heart.

Down, down, down at the midnight rectory,

We jiggle juice, frisking under the marquee.

The Peacocks are strutting behind velvet rope,

sipping away on their heavenly dope...

AN: AU on the Devil's Carnival where June and Cora are still alive and visiting one of the few remaining speakeasies in NYC at the cusp of the 1930s. In my headcanon, Cora is lesbian and June is bi.